I would just like to ask why people feel it is necessary to use the "N" word. Haven't we gotten past this yet?

Question

With all the media attention that "Kramer" is receiving, doesn't it make society wonder why this is so important. As an African-American female, I feel pity for people who use this word. I am black, but I am not the "N" word. Just because I am one I don't have to be the other. It's about time that the public starts taking notice of the accomplishments that a person makes and stop putting the focus on their skin color. Is the amount of melanin in a person's skin important enough to negate all the wonderful works that person may have done? Surely, in today's times we can look past this. With all the terrorist activities and all of our soldiers dying overseas in war started by an idiot, have we forgot the focus. I would like everyone to take the time to reflect back on an incident or incidents in their past that caused them to develop into people who would glorify such stupidity. Yes, being black I have encountered ignorant people using the word. I just ignore them. Try doing the same!!!!

Answer 1

i think in order for those to understand why the n word is such a staple in black society, you need to research the history of blacks from arrival to current. And not the one in school they teach you, but the real books in the libraries about a black man's plight. In black culture of lot of the things we do are unfortunately our culture. Because of slavery the many things that blacks endured is what we know considered our culture. For instance, saggin, eating chitling, blues, r&b, hip-hop, and now the critical word *****. Some blacks are now becoming educated and realize that word should not be a way to great ourselves, while others are saying it is a way to turn a negative into a positve, It is for blacks only and whites are excluded. Is it fair? no, but the world isnt fair. Although we are trying to get rid of that word it's going to take years and decades before the use of the word is limited, not necessarily eradicated, but less heard.

Answer 2

I think it's sad that anyone uses a hateful word, especially one for which the implication is "you, by virtue of an inborn trait, are inferior to the rest of humanity." However, most of the (faux) shock I see from hacks such as Jesse "Himeytown" Jackson is nothing short of political grandstanding. I don't see these same people pointing the finger squarely at a black American culture that has created a double standard in which it is perfectly acceptable for blacks to refer to themselves and others by "the n-word," but it is the worst insult imaginable for non-blacks to use the term in any setting.

Even more shocking, angering, and disheartening than any hypersensitivity regarding the use of a word, though, is the fact that very few of the "community leaders" and "civil rights activists" making charges of racism are willing to denounce and fight to reverse the behavioral trends that are much more prevalent among blacks in this country than among any other ethnic group, namely crime, drug use, dropping out, and illegitimacy, which do nothing but reinforce the stereotypes which lead to such ugly name-calling.

Then again, reversing those trends would empower the very people whom the race card players must keep dependent in order to receive government funding, votes, publicity, etc.

[/soapbox]

Answer 3

Back in college one of my professors said that when people have low self-esteem and are in a bad life or financial situation, they tend to try to blame it on someone such as minorities. The only thing that they can 'make themselves feel better' is to try to be 'higher' than someone. My problem with this thinking is that 'success' or 'highness' isn't something you're born with--its something you earn. If you do well in school, get a great job, etc , thats success; success is not because you're the majority race. With that said, you can notice that the most racist people tend to be from the lower socio-economic class (I live in the south and have met a few of them). I simply just shake my head and pity them. After all, its sad that they are so ignorant and don't know about the real multi-cultural society that we all live in.

Answer 4

I'm white and I get very pissed off at seeing black folks addressing one another as "niggga". How would racism ever end with this perpetual use of such a filthy word, mostly among the ones who scream racism and play the race card every opportunity they get?

You can't claim racism if you address your brothers and sisters as something that you claim to hate so much, such as the word "niggga" or "niggger"

Hipocracy is a double edged sword, and cuts both ways.

Bill Cosby needs to go on TV again and address the entire nation to start behaving properly, respecting one another, and drop the use of the "N" word. First and foremost, the black folks calling one another "******" should get educated and pick up their pants, which are usually down on their ankles and look like soiled diapers.

Answer 5

Me I am an native American and one of my friends is and African American, when another person comes up to us he or she calls my friend the “n” word and she gets offended by it sometimes too. But most of the time everyone is nice to her and it don’t matter about what color you are we are all the same in every different way. Just ignore everything you hear Everybody is human in this world.

Answer 6

see in my opinion that is a very controversial subject, because when us white people say the "N" word we are being racist, discriminatory ect. but when black people say it too each other it is a form of friendship or whatever... so i think that it would be best to do away with it anyway, because in my opinion its a form of racism when black people get mad for us to say it then they turn around and call one of their black friends the "N" word. i am not racist, several of my friends are black and they have the same views on the subject as i do. i have never heard them use the "N" word in any form so i think it is a very controversial issue. and half of you all thinkk we all think of you as ****ers and not all of us do the bigger part of ya'll are trying to make people feel sorry for you, when you say white america and this that and the other when there are in truth a bigger percintage if blacks in america than whites. so i'm sorry but i have no compasion for those of you who rate all of us WHITE people in the same category, i know i don't rate all of the black people in the same, because there are ones of you that do get up and work and make a decent living, then there are the slackers that just want hand outs, just like there are white people who would rather have handouts than get up and go to work. so there are the same types of people in all races. i don't think its fair that half the people categorize everyone the same type of people just because our skin color is different, doesn't make us unequal it's the way we present ourself that makes us different!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

Well said lady! First time I ever heard it used with rage and venom was from a beautiful black lady that helped my mom around the house. The impact of her vehemence has stayed with me, I abhore the use of the word.

Found that most people who use profanity are showing the frequency of epithetes is inversely proportionate to their mental accuity!

Kisses from a skinny white girl -- on the cheek of course.

Answer 8

I can't be bothered to care. Fact is if I'm in a room with all non black people and some one shouts "hey ****.er" I know they mean me....

ITs a powerful insult and I can see how it would be an excellent weapon in you arsenal, except I usually say: "yeah I am a ***.ger, you want to point to that fact that I have a vagina too...."

I think its another distraction from whats really wrong with our country...no respect and no regard.

Answer 9

Amen to that. I never use that word and I will not allow my children to use it, not that they would. I think we just need to drop it from the English language altogether, but the problem is, someone with hate in their heart would just invent another offensive word for black people in its place.

Answer 10

in truth african americans give to much power to the N word, no matter how appropriate or inappropriate it is to say white people are gonna call us n*ggers regardless, thats how most of them are. when blacks call each other n*ggas it came from the fact that no matter where we stood on the economic ladder, here in white america, we were still the same, which in part is why i believe that black people find it difficult to disassociate ourselves from our own "black trash". rather we embrace it and let the garbage consume us. personally i could give a rats *** about the N word, michael richards rants weren't shocking to me, it just how american whites are, claiming to be victims when they out number blacks 10 to 1. just listen to thier arguments against us, they hate us and as soon as you realize this the better off you'll be.